I actually deviated from my mum's recipe for Chicken with Yam. Mum's recipe uses yam, which I am avoiding due to it's higher carbohydrate content. I ran out of "taucheow" and because I still have a lot of red miso leftover from the LTU-Soya Bean event, I decided to make do.
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I don't remember my mum cooking this dish very often and my recollection is that she cooked it only once. I find mum's dish very tasty as the combination of "taucheow" (fermented bean paste), five spice powder, honey, shallots, garlic and ginger really works to produce something so aromatic and pleasing to the taste buds.
Seeing that miso is also made from soya beans, I reckon it was alright as a substitute even though I find "taucheow" more "fragrant" and the flavor more robust. My top tip for cooking this dish is to make more of the bean paste ingredients as you want enough to coat every piece of chicken and pumpkin (or yam). Besides, you also want extra for flavoring your rice, without a food fight at the table.
After tasting, I will have to concede that Miso is not a suitable substitute as far as this dish is concerned. But at least I tried and I better put "taucheow" on my shopping list. I'll make it two bottles :)
Chicken and Pumpkin with Taucheow
Recipe source : Phong Hong
Ingredients :
- 900g chicken, cut into bit size pieces
- 400 pumpkin, cut into cubes (if using yam, steam the yam first and add it in only when the chicken is cooked)
Pound or blend till fine :
- 2 big onions or 25 shallots
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons taucheow
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 level teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Method :
1. Heat oil in wok and saute pounded/blended paste till fragrant.
2. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover the wok and lower the flame. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add pumpkins and stir. Cover the wok and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked and pumpkins are tender.
4. Taste. This dish should be salty and slightly sweet.
Note : You can add some water to simmer the chicken if you find it too dry. I did not add any water as I know that the chicken will release water and I don't want the dish to be watery.
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Ingredients :
- 900g chicken, cut into bit size pieces
- 400 pumpkin, cut into cubes (if using yam, steam the yam first and add it in only when the chicken is cooked)
Pound or blend till fine :
- 2 big onions or 25 shallots
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons taucheow
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 level teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Method :
1. Heat oil in wok and saute pounded/blended paste till fragrant.
2. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover the wok and lower the flame. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add pumpkins and stir. Cover the wok and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked and pumpkins are tender.
4. Taste. This dish should be salty and slightly sweet.
Note : You can add some water to simmer the chicken if you find it too dry. I did not add any water as I know that the chicken will release water and I don't want the dish to be watery.
Ahhhhh!!!! Pumpkin! My girl would love this! She loves pumpkin. Just made pumpkin mushroom pie yesterday. Will blog about it...but long queue in my post schedule. Wouldn't appear that soon.
ReplyDeleteOoohh.....pumpkin mushroom pie sounds fantastic! Will be on a lookout for that post!
DeleteHi Phong Hong
ReplyDeleteI think I can reckon that you love taucheow because most of your delicious dishes are cooked with taucheow and I love it. You can compile all your taucheow dishes and make it into a cookbook...I think your readers will agree with me.
Hi Mel! Oh yes, I love taucheow! Hee..hee...I must gather more taucheow recipes or else won't be enough for a book :)
DeleteI have no idea what is Taucheow but the food looks good:)
ReplyDeleteOla, it is fermented bean paste. I'll add that information to my post :)
DeleteTaucheow is new tome , but looks you my !
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sapana! It is pungent but at the same time fragrant when sauted with ginger and garlic.
DeleteHi Phong Hong, i agree with Mel. Your taucheow dishes are always look sedap and make me drool. This is another good dish with pumpkin, love it ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Esther! I should so my mum's fish with taucheow dish.
DeleteHi Phong Hong, remembered I tried the fried pumpkin with taucheo which was good. I reckoned this is as good. I still have some miso too. Will give this a try.
ReplyDeleteHi Kimmy! Thanks for trying my recipe. Hope you like this one too!
DeleteHi Phong Hong,
ReplyDeleteI love most dishes that uses taucheow. Miso is one ingredient that I seldom cook with. That reminds me that I have an unopened container in my fridge!
I love eating pumpkin but have not tried cooking it with either taucheow or miso.
Hi Joyce! You must try cooking pumpkin with taucheow as it is really, really good!
DeleteHi Phong Hong,
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I hardly cook anything with taucheow... :p Seeing what you said, taucheow is in my shopping list too :D
Zoe
Zoe, you should ger re-acquainted with taucheow as it is a really good ingredient for delicious dishes!
DeleteIt took me a while to realize that the "taucheow" you are talking about means "tauchoo", hehe.. I always call it as "tauchoo".. Actually, I like anything braised with "tauchoo" and I like it gravy.. Braised paikuat with tauchoo and potatoes, braised tauchoo with chicken and potatoes, etc.. I can eat a mountain of rice with just the gravy..
ReplyDeleteHi Louiz! I have heard people calling it "tauchoo". Ah, you have reminded me of a dish my mum does with pork, carrots, onions and potatoes! Me too can eat a mountain of rice with the taucheow gravy. Yum! Yum!
Deletegajen nya I have not eaten this dish yet it must be yummy because pumpkin is very sweet must give it a try
ReplyDeleteEE, mesti cuba!
DeleteNice flavorful dish. Loving the flavors
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vimitha!
DeleteI love tau cheong and chicken and pumpkin would certainly go well with this sauce.
ReplyDeleteMich, it goes really well. So yummy with rice or plain porridge!
DeleteFirst time I see pumpkin being cooked with chicken and tauchu....how's the taste of pumpkin skin? not too fibrous? I usually peel them before stirfrying with dried shrimps.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, the pumpkin skin is tender, not fibrous at all. Just make sure you cook the pumpkin till tender. I am too lazy to peel it hee..hee...
Deletegreat combo! must be very delicious ! need more rice !
ReplyDeleteSonia, one whole pot waiting for you hee..hee..
DeleteOnce I ran out of taucu also and substituted miso to make a braised pork ribs dish. Tasted pretty good to me, but I think need to reduce as miso is much saltier.
ReplyDeleteYen, I still prefer taucheow over miso for this particular dish but miso does taste good in other dishes.
Deletehave i told you before that i always hv a jar of taucheo at home? quite versatile..can used to steam fish, braised chicken ..tho i also love yam, i always prefer pumpkin to yam...this dish sounds very flavourful !
ReplyDeleteLena, I just bought a new bottle of taucheow. Just waiting to cook more dishes with it!
DeleteI find the addition of taucheo, five spice powder and honey very interesting! Will give this a try but most probably without the pumpkin or yam, you think it will still be good? Taking this opportunity to wish you a blessed xmas and a happy new year!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, just the chicken itself will already taste good. A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!
DeleteHi Phong Hong, very interesting recipe. It sure look very inviting. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day.
Hi Amelia, hope it doesn't sound too strange to you! It is a tasty dish :)
Delete